U.S. Code » Title 52 » Subtitle Subtitle II— Voting Assistance and Election Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 205— NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION

52 U.S.C. § 20505

Mail registration

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(a) Form(1) Each State shall accept and use the mail voter registration application form prescribed by the Federal Election Commission pursuant to section 20508(a)(2) of this title for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.(2) In addition to accepting and using the form described in paragraph (1), a State may develop and use a mail voter registration form that meets all of the criteria stated in section 20508(b) of this title for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.(3) A form described in paragraph (1) or (2) shall be accepted and used for notification of a registrant’s change of address.(b) Availability of forms

The chief State election official of a State shall make the forms described in subsection (a) available for distribution through governmental and private entities, with particular emphasis on making them available for organized voter registration programs.

(c) First-time voters(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a State may by law require a person to vote in person if—(A) the person was registered to vote in a jurisdiction by mail; and(B) the person has not previously voted in that jurisdiction.(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of a person—(A) who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act [52 U.S.C. 20301 et seq.];(B) who is provided the right to vote otherwise than in person under section 20102(b)(2)(B)(ii) of this title; or(C) who is entitled to vote otherwise than in person under any other Federal law.(d) Undelivered notices

If a notice of the disposition of a mail voter registration application under section 20507(a)(2) of this title is sent by nonforwardable mail and is returned undelivered, the registrar may proceed in accordance with section 20507(d) of this title.

(Pub. L. 103–31, § 6, May 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 79.)Editorial NotesReferences in Text

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(A), is Pub. L. 99–410, Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 924, which is classified principally to chapter 203 (§ 20301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–4 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 21 cases (10 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: League of Women Voters v. Brian Newby, 838 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2016).
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League of Women Voters v. Brian Newby, 838 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2016). · cites it 2× “See 52 U.S.C. §§ 20505 (a)(1), 20507(a)(1)(B); ITCA, 133 S.”
Memphis A. Philip Randolph Inst. v. Tre Hargett, 2 F.4th 548 (6th Cir. 2021). · cites it 2× “At most, there is a federal statutory requirement that states allow voters to register by mail, see 52 U.S.C. § 20505 , an obligation that Tennessee has honored, and that by all accounts leaves room for Tennessee to require a voter so registered to vote in person, if the person…”
Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Inst., 584 U.S. 756 (2018). “80 , 52 U. S. C. §20505 . In particular, §6(d), entitled “Undeliv- ered Notices,” says that, “[i]f a notice of the disposition of a mail voter registration application .”
Fish v. Kobach, 189 F. Supp. 3d 1107 (D. Kan. 2016). “52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1). . Id. § 20508(b).”
Tenn.Conf. of the NAACP v. William Lee, 105 F.4th 888 (6th Cir. 2024). · cites it 2× “52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1)–(2). We will call the first of these forms the “Federal Form.”
League of Women Voters v. Brian Newby, 963 F.3d 130 (D.C. Cir. 2020). “52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1); see id. §§ 20508(a)(2), 20921, 20923(a)(1) (establishing the Election Assistance Commission and assigning to it responsibility over the mail-in form).”
Tenn. State Conf. of the NAACP v. William Lee, 139 F.4th 557 (6th Cir. 2025). · cites it 2× “52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1)–(2). States must “accept and use” a “mail voter registration application form” that the Election Assistance Commission (or EAC) creates.”
True the Vote v. Hosemann, 43 F. Supp. 3d 693 (S.D. Miss. 2014). “§ 1973gg-4_ 52 U.S.C. § 20505 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-5_ 52 U.”
Nearman/Miller v. Rosenblum, 371 P.3d 1186 (Or. 2016). “To accomplish those objectives, the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is required to develop, in conjunction with the states, a “federal mail voter registration application form.”
United States v. Louisiana, 196 F. Supp. 3d 612 (M.D. La. 2016). “” 52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1)-(2); Voting for Am.”
Stringer v. Pablos, 274 F. Supp. 3d 588 (W.D. Tex. 2017). “§ 16-166 (F) with NVRA provision now codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20505 (a)(1) (2012)). In that case, the Court engaged in a textual analysis and found that the limitations imposed by the Arizona statute were incompatible with, and thus preempted by, the NVRA requirements with…”
Promise Arizona v. Petersen, No. 24-4029 (9th Cir. Feb. 25, 2025). · cites it 17× “Public assistance agencies in Arizona typically use the state form to register individuals to vote.”
Show all 21 citing cases →
52 U.S.C. § 20505(a)(1): 1 case
League of United Latin Am. Citizens v. Exec. Off. of the President, No. 2025-0946 (D.D.C. Apr. 24, 2025).
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